


Unsought Is Better

by WaywardArrowGurl76



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Pennywise (IT), Bisexual Eddie Kaspbrak, Gay Richie Tozier, It Freeform, M/M, Mutual Pining, Reddie, The Losers Club (IT) Love Each Other, Triggers, Vulnerability
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-12
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2020-12-09 16:41:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20998007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WaywardArrowGurl76/pseuds/WaywardArrowGurl76
Summary: In his haste to escape an attacker,  Eddie Kaspbrak meets some people who will change the course of his life.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This has some serious TRIGGERS for some people. This story deals with sexual assault (At first, this note claimed that the story doesn't deal with rape but I changed my mind, it's a past rape and is actually necessary to my plot now ) and the aftermath.  
Please be aware of this before reading this story.  
The Losers are age 18 and up.  
This is not set in Derry but it is in Maine. All the characters go to a private school that is for difficult or undisciplined children. They have been sent here for all kinds of reasons.  
The title is part of a quote from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.

If you had told Eddie Kaspbrak that this is what his day had in store, he would have called you the biggest lying liar that ever lied a lie. He was usually so careful, so prepared. He wasn't prepared for this… Not at all. 

Patrick Hockstetter had approached him at the end of English. He had begged Eddie to tutor him in their Shakespeare lessons. He was failing...again. Eddie had been very reluctant. Patrick was sullen, kind of creepy, and irresponsible. He swore up and down that this would be different. He even asked Professor Ross in front of Eddie if he could be tutored by a student as dedicated and upstanding as Eddie. Professor Ross seemed thrilled that Patrick was taking the initiative and praised Eddie as a 'fine young man' for even considering taking on such a challenging student as Patrick. 

They had been studying, everything was going so great and Eddie had been so engrossed in Twelfth Night, he didn't notice the change in the air. Suddenly, with no warning whatsoever, Patrick reached out, ripped the book out of Eddie's hand, and threw it carelessly to the side. Eddie watched it sail across the room. 

"W-what are you doing?" Eddie stared at him with his big brown eyes. He didn't like the new glint in Patrick's shark-like eyes. The older boy licked his lips slowly, dark eyes heavy-lidded with lust and something else a bit more sinister sliding all over Eddie's body. He felt dirty, almost nauseatingly so. They were all alone in the dorm room, something that Eddie had been uncomfortable with initially, but Patrick had been unusually and disarmingly charming. He had repeated how he was serious about passing English this time. He seemed sincere and Eddie let himself be swayed. 

"Something a lot more fun than Twelfth Night." Patrick advanced on him rapidly. Startled, Eddie crawled backwards, moving away like a crab. "Ah ah ah! Just where do you think you're going, Kaspbrak? You're not going anywhere, sweetheart." Eddie's hands slid over the hardwood floor as he scrambled away. 

"No! No! Let me go! Stop it!" Eddie yelped as Patrick's big hand snared his ankle in a tight grip. He was easily dragged towards the other boy. "Let go of me! I said, stop!" He slapped at Patrick's hands and tried to kick him. All Patrick did was smile that scary smile. 

"Make me. I bet you're a screamer, you look like a screamer. Too bad. Next time I'll get you outside somewhere where I can hear you. Virgins always make the best screamers." Patrick leered at him, his eyes hypnotic, almost dreamy. He was utterly and undeniably insane. Eddie heard himself began to wheeze. 

Eddie was picked up and tossed on the bed. The impact knocked the breath out of him. Before he could get it back to draw in air to yell, Patrick was on top of him, a large calloused hand slapped over his mouth, muffling any sound, painfully pressing his lips against his teeth. Eddie cried out behind the hand, terrified of what fun Patrick had in mind. his desperate struggles only seemed to encourage the other boy's manic depravity. 

Patrick ran a hand up Eddie's trembling thigh, long fingers sliding under the hem of Eddie's short red and white striped shorts. Eddie sobbed into Patrick's grimy hand as those fingers began pulling at the elastic band of his underwear around his thigh. 

Patrick began rubbing himself against Eddie's thigh. His hoarse groans turned Eddie's stomach. Eddie screamed as Patrick managed to slide his underwear to the side and shove a long, dry finger inside of him. He gave a choked moan as he felt searing pain. He arched off the bed and tried to get away, like an animal caught in a snare. Tears slid down his cheeks as he flailed. This seemed to turn Patrick on even more judging by his lecherous smile and the way he licked his lips. 

The pain spurred Eddie on to fight even harder. He bit Patrick's hand as hard as he possibly could, kicking out when Patrick yelped and yanked his other hand free of Eddie's body as he jerked away from the smaller boy. Eddie was sure that he was bleeding where Patrick had violated him. He kicked the boy again, getting a pretty good nut shot in. Patrick groaned and curled up on the bed, clutching himself. Eddie shoved him away and bolted, running as fast as he could. 

He burst through the door into the empty hallway and ran blindly down the long corridor to the opposite wing of the dorm. He was shaking and crying and looking over his right shoulder. He could swear that he was being followed. Patrick's touch still stained his skin, he could feel it all the way down to his soul. 

He ran smack into something solid as he rounded a corner. The force of the impact knocked Eddie straight to the ground. He sat there blinking, one hand pressed against his ribs. 

"Ow! Jesus Christ! What the actual fuck, dude?!" A startled, angry male voice exclaimed. Eddie looked up, way up. A tall, slim, attractive boy with longish dark curls and dark framed glasses was gingerly rubbing his chest where Eddie had just bounced off of him. His pained, irritated expression melted into one of concern when he caught sight of Eddie's terrified, tear streaked face. "Hey, you okay?" He reached down and pulled Eddie up by the hand. The boy tried to wipe away the tears on Eddie's cheek but quickly stopped when the smaller boy fearfully flinched away from him. "You're shaking! I'm not going to hurt you, okay? My name is Richie. Richie Tozier. I live just down the hall over here. You're safe with me, I promise." 

The soft, gentle voice was Eddie's undoing. Somehow, instinctively knowing he could trust him, he fell against the bigger boy, crying into his chest. Richie began whispering soothing nonsense into his hair, stroking his back. They stood there for a moment as Richie let Eddie pull himself together. His sobs dwindled into slightly wheezy gasps and then soft hiccups. 

Richie led Eddie down the hall, there was a common area across from his dorm room. He sat down in a big overstuffed brown chair and watched as Eddie did the same. The wince that Eddie made as he slowly and carefully sat down sent major alarms off in Richie's head. 

"What's your name?" He gently prodded. He saw the nervous shift in his eyes and the uncertainty in his gaze. 

"E-eddie. Eddie Kaspbrak." The boy managed, his voice slightly hoarse and very timid. Red-rimmed brown eyes lifted to his. Richie felt as if he'd been punched in the stomach. This boy was absolutely stunning, even wrecked as he was. Creamy skin that was a little blotchy from tears, gorgeous brown eyes, soft dark hair, and pretty pink lips. 

"Don't take this the wrong way, Eds, but you're kind of a mess."

Eddie shamefully dropped his gaze and Richie mentally kicked himself. The kid had definitely taken that the wrong way. Richie wasn't called 'Trashmouth Tozier' for nothing. He managed to put his foot in his mouth quite a bit and he didn't usually mince words. Richie figured it was because he was one of those lucky people who didn't have a filter. Anything would and could come out of his mouth at any time. 

"Would you like some water?" Richie offered, feeling the need to make it up to the boy somehow. "I have some cold bottled water in the fridge in my room. I can bring you one...if you'd like." He looked at Eddie, nervously. He wasn't normally good with traumatized people. He always said something wrong. 

"That would be nice." Eddie managed a wobbly smile. 

Richie nodded and stood up. Giving Eddie a quick nod, he walked over to his room. He unlocked the door. His roommate, Bill wasn't there. Richie figured he was either in class or with their friends, Ben and Beverly. He got a cold bottle of Ozarka from the mini fridge, a couple of tissues from the box on Bill's desk, and hurried back to the common area where Eddie was waiting. 

Eddie gratefully took the bottle of water, opened it and took a couple of sips. He put the cap back on and placed the bottle on the small table next to him. 

"Thank you." He took the Kleenex from Richie and gently wiped his eyes with one. He gingerly blew his nose with the other and threw them away in a nearby wastebasket. 

"Hey, we just met so I don't mean to push you or pry into your business, but can you tell me what happened?" Richie asked, tentatively. He looked worried. 

Eddie closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His stomach felt as if it was in knots. He was safe with Richie, he could feel it. He exhaled, slowly. 

"I was tutoring this guy from my English class. He's failing…again and the professor asked me to help him. This guy, he's not normally the nicest guy around so I was a little worried when we ended up in his room…alone. At first, though, everything seemed okay. We were talking about Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night and I really felt like I was getting through to him. Actually, we were almost finished. I was so relieved that Patrick was…"

"Patrick? Hockstetter?!" Richie exclaimed in undisguised horror, blue eyes widening behind his thick lenses. "Sorry. Please, finish." He apologized, motioning for Eddie to continue with the story. 

"He was acting like a normal person. He was charming, even. Suddenly, he ripped the book away from me and threw it across the room. I asked him what he was doing and he said something more fun than Twelfth Night. I didn't like the way he was looking at me, it was creepy and gross. He grabbed me…" Eddie's voice wavered, fresh tears clogging his throat, making it ache. 

"Did he…" Richie paused, his voice shaking with fury, "Did he force himself on you, Eddie Did he hurt you?" He violently clenched his teeth and closed his eyes when Eddie slowly nodded, blinking back more tears. 

"H-he didn't rape me. But I know he probably would have if I hadn't fought him off. He…" Eddie broke off, tears sliding down his face. 

Richie stood up and moved over towards him. He sat down next to the crying brunette on the huge chair and gingerly pulled Eddie into a hug. Eddie laid his head on Richie's shoulder. He sniffled. 

"You don't have to tell me anymore if you don't want to. But I do think you should tell your RA and maybe even your professor." He felt Eddie tense up. "He shouldn't get away with this. He hurt you. He would have raped you. Do you have someone you want me to call for you? A friend? A boyfriend? Girlfriend? Your roommate?" Richie asked, long, slim fingers absentmindedly playing with the super soft hair at the back of Eddie's neck. 

"Will you go with me? To talk to someone?" Eddie asked, looking up at him with those gorgeous brown eyes. Richie couldn't say no, not to those expressive eyes. They were gorgeous and hopeful, worried and scared. They cut through all of Richie's defenses. 

"Sure, if you really want me to. Come on, let's go, Eddie Spaghetti." He slowly untangled himself from Eddie and stood up. He offered the boy his hand. 

Eddie laughed softly at the silly nickname, fondly rolling his eyes. He'd never had nicknames before and this Richie guy seemed to have plenty to pass around. 

"You have a really great laugh." Richie told him, blue eyes sincere. "It suits you."

Eddie blushed at the compliment and slipped his hand back into Richie's. Richie gently squeezed his hand, helping him up. 

They walked quietly to Eddie's dorm which was actually right behind Richie's and Eddie led them to his RA's door at the edge of the building. 

"You lucked out. Mike Hanlon is a really good guy. He'll make sure that Patrick gets what he deserves." Richie told him, pointing to the decorative name card on the RA's door that stated: Michael Hanlon, RA, Starrett Hall. He knocked with a flurry of little knocks that almost seemed like a code. 

The door swung open and a tall, solidly built black youth peered out. He had a very friendly demeanor and a kind looking face. He broke out into a huge happy grin when he saw Richie standing there. 

"Richie Tozier! How are you doing, man?" He took in the unusually solemn expression on his buddy's face. His subdued gaze moved to Eddie and his smile faded as he took in the drying tear tracks and post-crying splotches on his face. "I take it this isn't a social call." His velvety voice was now serious and concerned. 

"Mike, this is Eddie Kaspbrak. Eddie, Mike Hanlon. Can we come in? We need to talk. It's important." 

Mike nodded and stepped back, allowing them to enter. Richie was normally goofing around, being snarky, and making really bad jokes and puns. He was obnoxious, endearingly so, and quite loud. Mike hadn't seen Richie so humorless in a long time. Richie guided Eddie into Mike's dorm room. 

"Do either of you want something to drink?" Mike offered but both declined politely. Mike sat on a chair, allowing both Eddie and Richie to sit on his bed. "So, what's going on, guys?"

"Eddie?" Richie prompted, reaching out to take his hand again. He heard Eddie's sharp intake of breath and shaky exhale. He stroked his thumb over Eddie's knuckles. "It's okay, Eds. You're braver than you think."

"Thanks, Rich." Eddie murmured, looking up at his new friend with a timid smile, not realizing he had shortened Richie's name. He turned to look at Mike. 

"I-I was tutoring this guy…" Eddie began, he wanted this to be over quickly. He didn't want to feel Patrick's hands on him anymore. 

"Patrick Hockstetter!" Richie spat. Eddie saw Mike's dark eyes widen in shock and realized that the RA knew Patrick, too. "Sorry, Eddie. I didn't mean to interrupt you."

"I was tutoring Patrick in English. We were studying Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. As I told Richie, I was nervous about being in his room alone but Patrick was being strangely charming and actually nice. He was studying with me and we were almost about to wrap it up. All of a sudden he grabbed the book from me and threw it on the floor. I was surprised and asked him what he was doing." Eddie paused and Richie saw his eyes glaze over. He felt trapped as if he was back in time, pinned to the bed beneath Patrick's unwelcome bulk. He felt hands on him. He whimpered, squeezing his eyes closed, tightly. 

"Hey, hey, you're safe now, Eds. You're with us and we're not going to let anything else happen to you." He tugged Eddie into a hug, stroking his back and his hair. Eddie whimpered again, burying his face into Richie's chest. He took a long minute to compose himself and looked up at Mike. He stayed safely cuddled in Richie's arms as he continued with his story. 

"Sorry. He said what he was doing would be more fun than Shakespeare. He started coming towards me. I freaked out and began to crawl away. He had this creepy look in his eyes. I begged him to stop and to leave me alone. I was hitting him and kicking at him. He said he bet that I would scream for him because virgins make the best screamers. He picked me up and threw me on his bed. It knocked the wind out of me. Before I could do anything, he was on top of me, covering my mouth. He said it was too bad we weren't somewhere where he could enjoy my screams." Eddie felt tears spill over and slide down his face. "H-he put his hand up my shorts and pulled my underwear to the s-side and he…" He broke off with a sob, wiping his face with the back of his hand. Mike got up and handed him a Kleenex box. Eddie took it. He blew his nose and threw the wadded up tissue in the trash. He looked up at Richie nervously, his red, bitten lips were trembling slightly. 

"Do you need to stop?" Richie asked, his voice gentle and sweet. Eddie shook his head in response. If he stopped telling Mike about this now, he was afraid he'd never get through it again. Richie's warm hands rubbing his back soothed him. 

"He touched...he pushed a finger…inside me…it hurt. It hurt so bad. He didn't use anything, I could feel something tear." Eddie shuddered, the memory of it terrorizing him all over again. 

He heard Richie swear violently above him. Richie's hands pressed him closer, in an effort to soothe. Mike rubbed a hand over his mouth and closed his eyes in sympathy as Eddie recalled the attack. 

"Did he rape you, Eddie? Did it get that far?" Mike asked, opening his eyes. Mike looked angry and sad when Eddie looked over at him. 

"N-no! I bit his hand and kicked him. I got away and I ran." He said in a thready voice that was almost a whisper. 

"Right into me." Richie rubbed his chest where they had collided. "Literally. He was running like the devil was after him." 

"Eddie, I have to report this to campus police, okay? I have to. You were sexually assaulted by another student." Mike said, rubbing his forehead. 

Eddie blinked at him owlishly, as if that had not occurred to him even after he had told Mike his story. He nodded, biting his lip hard. 

"Also, we need to get you to the nurses' station so they can look you over." Mike continued, "They'll probably do a rape kit. You may need some medical attention from where Patrick hurt you."

"Richie…" Eddie whimpered, clutching at the other boy in a panic. More people, strange people,poking and prodding him and wanting answers from him that he didn't want to answer. 

"It's okay. Do you want us to go with you? You don't have to do this alone, Eddie." Richie continued to rub Eddie's back with one hand. 

"Richie, can I speak with you for a minute?" Mike asked, standing up. His voice was soft but serious. His eyes were troubled and wary. 

Richie cautiously untangled himself from Eddie, who protested softly as Richie moved. He gave Eddie a soft, reassuring pat on the shoulder before walking over to Mike. 

"What's up?" Richie pushed his thick black framed glasses up his nose, eyes on Mike. 

"I think it's great that you're helping him. He needs support right now. But I want you to be careful. He's been through a trauma and may be latching on to the first friendly face he sees. You can't save him, Richie. Eddie has to do that himself. He's a really sweet kid, he's also very cute and he has those big brown puppy dog eyes." Mike said, earnestly. Damn him and his major in psychology. Richie didn't want his fucking head shrunk right now. Right now, he only wanted to help Eddie. 

"What's your point, Michael?" Richie asked, his hackles rising. 

"He's not in a good place emotionally right now, Rich. He needs to get past this before he can get involved with anyone. You're a good guy. Eddie obviously sees that. He's fragile right now and fragile people can sometimes mistake kindness for something more." Mike looked at him just the way his late father, Wentworth Tozier used to, disappointed and resigned. 

"I get it. Don't fall in love with him. Thanks for the advice, Professor." Richie snarked, blue eyes rolling sarcastically behind his lenses. 

"And don't let him fall in love with you." Mike cautioned. 

"Mike, I can't control how he feels but I don't see that being a problem." He gestured to himself with a self-deprecating snort. 

"Don't sell yourself so short, kiddo. You're a real catch. Just don't jump into anything here. Eddie has been through a whole hell of a lot."

"Yeah, yeah." He waved off Mike's concern. He walked back over to Eddie, who was watching them the way his grandma used to watch Jeopardy, confused and worried. 

"That looked kind of intense. Everything okay?" Eddie asked, nervously. 

"That? Oh, yeah. Just Michael being overprotective. We've known each other forever. He's like the brother I never had." Richie dismissed the talk and Eddie let him brush it off. 

"Let's go, you two. First stop, the nurses' station." Mike announced, as he grabbed his keys and his wallet. Richie took Eddie's hand again and they followed Mike out. 

Eddie took a shaky breath as the three of them paused outside the nurses' station. Mike squeezed his shoulder encouragingly. Richie gave Eddie a soft smile and laced their fingers together tighter. 

"I'm…I'm scared, Rich." 

"It's okay. You don't have to do this by yourself. I'm here...Mike's here, too. Whatever you need. Promise." He used his free hand to grab Eddie's other hand and curled their pinkies together. Eddie looked at their fingers and back up at Richie. 

TBC… 


	2. Unsought Is Better

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Richie and Mike help Eddie in taking the next step after his attack.

Eddie took another shaky breath and let his eyelids flutter closed. Exhaling slowly, he tightened his pinky around Richie's and then opened his eyes. 

"O-okay. Let's do this." He said, a very determined look on his adorable face. Richie smiled at him. 

"That's my boy!" He cheered, still trying to lighten the mood. Mike patted Eddie's shoulder again and they all walked forward towards the nurses' station. 

Mike briskly walked up to the counter and a young, pretty brunette nurse looked up. Her name badge read Carole Danner RN. She let her gaze slide over Mike's muscular body appreciatively. 

"How may I help you?" She asked, eyelashes batting at Mike. He either didn't notice or simply ignored the blatant flirting. Richie rolled his eyes and looked down at Eddie. 

"Our friend needs medical attention. He was attacked." Mike explained, gesturing to Eddie, who clutched at Richie like a lifeline. 

The nurse's blue eyes swept over the smaller boy, a concerned frown marring her pretty face. She grabbed some forms and a clipboard with a pen attached. 

"Fill these out for me, honey. I'll be back in just a minute to look over them." She handed the clipboard to Eddie, who reluctantly took it. Richie guided him over to a row of chairs and they all sat. 

"She liked her some Mike." Richie stated crudely, waggling his eyebrows at the RA. "Get it, Mikey boy."

"Beep beep, Richie." Mike scowled. He turned and saw Eddie's brow suddenly crease in confusion at the strange phrase. 

"That's how we like to tell him to knock it off. He…" Mike began. 

"I have no filter. It's a gift. You'll see." Richie winked at Eddie, who just blushed and shook his head. 

Eddie filled out the forms meticulously. He included medical history and the medications he took. Richie tried to give Eddie privacy and not to peek at what he was divulging on paper. He jiggled his leg until Mike grabbed his knee and gave him a slightly annoyed look. He also got a huff and a glare from Eddie. 

"Sorry." He muttered, shoving a hand through his tangled curls. He got up and started leafing through information pamphlets on a nearby wall. "Chlamydia And You…nope. Information Guide On How To Do Your Own Breast Exam…hmm..." 

Eddie and Mike looked over to see Richie lifting his t-shirt, tucking it just beneath his armpits and using both hands to follow the instructions on how to test for breast lumps. Despite himself, Eddie smiled. 

"Oh my God. Richie, stop it! Beep beep, man!" Mike groaned. He and Eddie froze in horror as Carole Danner chose that moment to come back in the room. She came to a halt as she spied Richie. She looked over at Mike who buried his face in his hands. Eddie simply shrugged at her and she sighed with annoyance, startling Richie. He turned towards her, shirt still rucked up under his arms and she gave him a pointed look. 

Richie quickly pulled his shirt back down and replaced the pamphlet. He sat back down next to Eddie. Mike smacked him none too gently upside the head. Eddie smothered a chuckle. Richie slid a long arm around his shoulders. 

Eddie finished the forms and took them over to the desk. Carole sent him back to the chairs, looked the forms over and made a call. Soon, a young male in dark green scrubs and a stethoscope came in the room. He was fairly tall and quite handsome with a full head of thick wavy reddish hair and pretty emerald green eyes. He looked to be about 30 years old and also seemed to have a no-nonsense attitude about him. 

"Edward Kaspbrak?" He asked, scanning the three boys. Eddie swallowed hard and stood up on shaky legs. Richie stood up beside him, reaching for his hand. "Sorry, only the patient is allowed back for the exam. You boys can wait here for him. Mr. Kaspbrak, I'm Doctor O'Brien. Would you please follow me?" He gestured for Eddie to come join him. 

Eddie shot a desperate look at Richie and Mike. He bit his lip and glanced nervously at the young doctor waiting impatiently for him. 

"We'll be right here, Eds." Richie promised, solemnly. Mike nodded his agreement, giving Eddie a soft smile. 

"Come on, son." Dr. O'Brien prodded and Eddie shuffled forward, shooting looks back at the other boys. He disappeared down the hall. 

Richie sighed, pulling his glasses off and putting them on his lap. He groaned and put his head in his hands. 

"You did a good thing, Richie." Mike said softly. 

"Yeah. Sure. Then why do I feel like shit?" He muttered, scrubbing his face with both of his hands. 

"Because you're compassionate and a good person, even under all the bluster and craziness. Eddie needs to do this. Patrick needs to be held accountable. He assaulted that boy. If Eddie hadn't gotten away, you, of all people, know what would have happened."

Richie flinched. Mike slid a hand around to cup his neck. He squeezed gently. Richie raised pained blue eyes to him, his face pale. 

"I know. God, do I ever know, Mikey." 

TBC

  
  



	3. Unsought Is Better

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Richie reflects on his own past with Eddie's attacker.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MAJOR TRIGGER WARNINGS!  
THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS DETAILS OF M/M RAPE. DO NOT READ IF YOU DONT THINK YOU CAN HANDLE IT!

After his talk with Mike about Eddie, Richie shut down a bit. This whole thing was bringing up stuff that Richie thought he'd dealt with already. Stuff he didn't want to deal with again. 

He stared at poster advertising free flu shots with most insurance plans, his vision blurring. Most days, he could forget what had happened to him years ago. He was a totally different person now. He had friends, he focused on school, he didn't have tons of one night stands anymore. No one had ever told him that sometimes survivors of sexual assault became promiscuous instead of shunning sex altogether. He had crawled in every bed with a willing body for the first three years of high school. He lost himself in carnal bliss. He was surprised he didn't catch every STD known to man. He had been fourteen when he was raped. The boy who had orchestrated it was a sadistic bastard. Feral and homophobic, with sick twisted perversion of life, Henry Bowers was not someone to mess with. 

It had been 1989. Summer was quickly approaching. The Derry Police Department had set a seven p.m. curfew for all teen-agers. 

Richie flicked his cigarette butt to the ground. Time to get home, it was getting close to curfew. Bill and Beverly had already gone home. Bill had a school project due and Beverly's perv of a father kept her on a very tight leash. 

He pulled his bike from the tree he had propped it up against and climbed on. He followed the path out of the Barrens and towards town. It wasn't far, maybe a couple of miles. He enjoyed the breeze whipping through his curls, the wind caressing his face. 

Richie careened down the path that led to the road near McCarron Park. He pedalled faster, wanting to get past the park, which was fine during the day but gave him the heebie jeebies at night. 

The bike sailed down Costello Avenue. It was all but deserted. Richie jerked and looked around as bright lights suddenly flashed behind him. A car was following him, a blue car. He moved over towards the curb. The car slowed down, instead of flashing past him like he'd expected. He peeked over his shoulder and nearly ran himself off the road. It was a blue Trans Am, Belch Huggins' car. Oh, shit. Oh, fuck. He pedalled furiously, knowing there was no way in hell he'd be able to outrun them. He knew it wasn't just Belch in that car. It was Henry Bowers and Victor Criss and possibly that crazy kid, Patrick Hockstetter. 

"Fuck me sideways!" Richie groaned. His leg muscles were cramping, sweat beaded his forehead and slid disgustingly down his back in a trickle. 

Belch suddenly revved the engine and pulled out in front of Richie, tires squealing.

Richie screamed in surprised terror and lost control of his bicycle. He tumbled painfully to the pavement. His palms and his knees took the brunt of his fall and he winced as the skin tore. He felt the blood stinging as it met the air. He grimaced as he sat up, looking down at his injuries. 

"Hey, Four-Eyes! How was your trip? Did you have a nice fall?" Henry grinned at him from the passenger seat of the Trans Am. His three cronies laughed. 

"It's almost curfew, fellas. Don't you have to go home and blow your dad before bed, Bowers? I'm fine, by the way." Rich shot back, standing up and trying to move without wincing. His wayward mouth just didn't know when to stay quiet and he just knew he was asking for trouble with that statement. 

Henry practically burst out of the car, nostrils flaring. The other boys clambered after him. 

Richie's eyes darted to the side to try and find an escape, but he was too late. Henry furiously yanked the lanky boy clear off his feet, dangling him a couple of feet off the ground. 

"You just can't help yourself, can you, Tozier? Just got to have the last word. Nobody calls me a cocksucker! Especially not a loser like you." Richie struggled in Henry's grip. "You like dick, though, don't you, you little homo? You're Denbrough's little fuckboy, aren't you? No one else would give you the time of day. You giving up that ass to Billy, huh, Tozier?" Henry shook Richie. 

"Let go of me, you fucking psycho!" Richie kicked at him. 

"Hockstetter, hold this, would ya?" Henry tossed Richie to Patrick Hockstetter as if he was lighter than air. Patrick laughed like a hyena and pulled Richie back against him roughly. 

Richie struggled harder as he heard Patrick sniff his hair. This guy was crazier than Henry was. 

"Get away from me! Fucking creep!" He tried to stomp on Hockstetter's feet. 

"You smell like strawberries and whipped cream." Patrick crooned, licking at Richie's ear. Disgusted, Richie jerked his head away the best that he could. Patrick laughed. 

"Bring him here." Henry ordered, motioning for Patrick to bring Richie to the back of Belch's car. For a second, Richie thought they were going to tie him to the car and drag him through the streets of Derry. He fought Hockstetter every step of the way. 

"He's a feisty one, Hank." Patrick grinned, tugging the younger boy with him. 

"Get off me! Get the fuck off me, you freak!" Richie cried out. Patrick ignored him, passing him back off to Henry.

Henry shoved Richie over the hood of Belch's car. Richie fell forward, arms flailing. 

"Get his arms, Vic, Belch! Hold him down." Henry ordered. Richie's arms were seized by the other lackeys and he was forced down. "You're going to like this, Tozier. I'm going to give you a night to remember. You won't be laughing or joking after I'm through with you." Richie felt big hands fumbling with his zipper and tugging at his jeans. He realized what was about to happen. 

"NO! NO! Don't touch me! Get off of me! Let me go! Don't do this!" He cried out, yanking his arms against the tight grips of Belch and Victor. He felt his pants slide to his ankles. Richie began to cry, embarrassingly loud broken sobs. Henry yanked down his briefs, the cool night air on his exposed cheeks more humiliating than he could have imagined. Henry dropped his own pants and freed himself from his briefs. 

"Henry, is this really necessary?" Belch asked, softly, eyes deliberately focused above Henry's waist. 

"You want to take his place, Huggins?" Henry sneered, watching Belch deflate. "That's what I thought." Henry licked his hand and stroked himself twice. "OK, fag, you can dish it out, but can you take it?" Henry pushed forward hard and Richie screamed, a broken, rusty scream that pierced Belch's ears. He flinched and turned away from the rape. 

Henry slapped a hand over Richie's mouth, muffling the boy's agonized cries. Patrick watched as the light in the boy's eyes dimmed, he saw the life seem to drain out of Richie as the boy went limp. He looked dead, but Patrick knew it was the death of his innocence. His dick throbbed in his pants as he stared at Richie lustfully. 

Henry was still thrusting into Richie's limp body. He shuddered, crying out as he climaxed. He pulled out carelessly. He casually tucked himself back in his briefs as if he had just used a public toilet. He pulled his jeans up. Surprisingly, he pulled Richie's briefs up too, but not his jeans. 

"Guess Denbrough wasn't your first, after all. Never thought I'd say this, but he's missing out. You're almost as tight as Marsh's pussy. Almost. Let's go, boys!" Henry laughed. 

Belch and Victor dropped Richie's arms, both looking uneasy and a little green. Richie slid to the ground in the fetal position, jeans still crumpled at his feet. 

Patrick stepped over him to get back in the car. He looked back at Richie's pale, tear-streaked face and blew him a kiss, one eye dropping in a sly wink. The older boys crowded into Belch's car and took off. 

Richie sat up and leaned over to vomit in the grass. His throat hurt from screaming and his muscles violently clenched as he threw up. He shuddered, tears sliding down his face. His head was pounding and he felt hollow. His ass hurt, like really really bad. 

He slowly rose to his feet and bit back a cry as he bent to pull his jeans up his legs. His shaky fingers fumbled with his zipper and the button. There was no way he was riding his bike home. He was sure he could barely walk. 

TBC


	4. Unsought Is Better

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Richie faces his past and Eddie's present while Mike meets someone who will ease his own past pain.

Richie was yanked back to the present when Mike nudged him. He shook his head, blinking away those horrible memories of Henry Bowers and his cronies. He looked up as Eddie came into view. He was dressed in hospital scrubs and his pretty eyes were all red and puffy, tear tracks clearly visible on his face. The red-headed doctor wasn't with him now but to his left, two campus police officers were speaking in low tones with Carole Danner at her desk. She was nodding at what they were saying and looking over at Richie and Mike. She said something to the cops and pointed to them a second later and then to Eddie. 

"Eddie…" Richie stood up and hurried over to the traumatized boy. He raised a tentative hand to touch him and Eddie threw himself at Richie. He was trembling. Richie held him tightly, one hand stroking his soft, dark hair. 

"I wanna go home." Eddie said, his voice scratchy and hoarse. He was making soft gaspy noises like the ones little kids made when they were trying not to cry. It was heart-breaking. 

"We'll get Mike and we can…" Richie began, a large hand touched his shoulder and he yelped, spinning around. 

One of the campus police officers was standing there, his hands raised to show Richie that he meant no harm to him or to Eddie. In one of his hands was a large plastic bag that held Eddie's clothes, including his briefs. Richie flinched as he caught sight of some drops of blood on the white fabric. 

"We have some questions for you boys about your friend and the…incident." He said in a deep, gravelly voice. Eddie backed away, immediately bumping into Mike, who put a soothing hand on his shoulder. 

"Incident? You mean, the sexual assault?" Richie asked, his tone bordering on hostile. The campus cop, Rivers-his name badge read, raised an eyebrow at the belligerent boy. 

"Rich, they're here to help Eddie." Mike cautioned him. He shut up when Richie turned the glare on him. Mike knew Richie had every right to be angry. 

"Fine. Whatever. Let's get this over with." He sneered. He followed the two cops to some chairs across the room. He looked back once and saw Eddie's big, forlorn brown eyes watching him. Mike was rubbing Eddie's back and talking to him. 

"Your friend have a lot of study dates with Patrick Hockstetter?" The other cop, Kent, asked, once they were seated. Richie raised furious blue eyes to the man. He was so angry, he was practically vibrating in his chair. 

"We just met today! Kid literally ran into me after he was attacked and it wasn't a goddamn study date! Eddie isn't stupid and he wouldn't date that shitstain voluntarily! He was assaulted by that bastard just like he said he was and I know that for a fact because Patrick Hockstetter is one of the three psychotic assholes that stood there, held me down, and watched as I was violently raped four years ago by a buddy of his! I was fourteen years old!" He realized he was shouting and he knew without looking that Eddie had heard him because a wounded sound came from his direction. "Fuck!" He forced himself to look over and saw the horror dawning on Eddie's pretty face. 

"Richie? You were…" Eddie's lip trembled. Eddie looked up at Mike and saw the truth on his face. "Oh God…Oh God..." 

"Eddie…" Richie whispered, his voice shaky and broken.

"Son, I'm sorry that you went through that and I know it's difficult…" 

"Look, I know you think you mean well, Officer Kent, and you two are just trying to do your jobs, but you don't know jackshit about difficult. You don't know me and you don't know Eddie. You don't know the hell of looking over your shoulder all day every day and expecting to see the face of the monster who assaulted you, who took away your innocence. You don't know how it feels to feel so unbelievably dirty that you shower in scalding hot water and scrub your skin raw until it's bleeding. You don't know what it's like to cry yourself to sleep, sometimes praying that you never wake up again. If you want to help us, really help us, get the man who assaulted Eddie. Arrest him and throw his rapey ass in jail where he belongs. People will probably tell Eddie that he's lucky that he wasn't raped, just like they told me that I was lucky that my rapist didn't kill me. We don't feel lucky. We feel violated. We feel dirty. We feel terrified and lost and damaged. What we don't feel is safe. Fucking do something, for God's sake, but don't sit here and patronize us and tell us that you know how we feel." Richie left the officers sitting there speechless. 

"I want to go home. Please." Eddie said, again, reaching out for Richie, who pulled him close. He rubbed Eddie's back. 

"Let's get out of here." Mike said, he nodded to Carole and the three boys walked outside into the fresh air. 

"I'm so sorry, Richie." Eddie whispered. 

"You have nothing, and I mean, nothing to be sorry for, Eds. Let's get you home and let you take a nice, hot shower and into some warm clothes, okay? You'll feel more like yourself, I promise. Come on." 

"I can make some hot chocolate." Mike offered, bringing a soft smile to Eddie's face. 

"I love hot chocolate." He murmured. "My dad used to make me hot chocolate when I had a bad day."

"Sounds like a plan, Mikey. Bring the stuff to Eddie's and I'll get him settled. You can start on the good stuff while we make him more comfortable." 

"I have movies and popcorn, too." Eddie offered, feeling a weight lifting off his shoulders. He felt safer with them. 

"Are you sure, Eddie?" Mike asked. "You've had a rough day."

"You don't have to…" Eddie trailed off, lips turning down. Richie didn't like that expression on him. 

"We'd love to, Eds. You pick out your favorite movie and Mike will fix hot chocolate and we'll make a night of it, okay?" He gave Mike a pointed look and Mike nodded. 

"OK, I'll look and see what I have. Just want to lose myself in a different world for awhile, you know?" He directed at Richie. 

"Yeah, I get that, I do. Distracting yourself can help but don't forget that life is still here and sooner or later, you'll have to deal with this. Or it will tear you apart. I learned that the hard way, believe me."

"Thank you, Rich. For everything you did for me today." Eddie said, quietly, reaching for Richie's hand. 

"Oh, sweetheart, don't thank me. I'm part of the reason that this shit happened to you." Richie pulled his hand away from the boy, his face twisting in pain.

"Don't you DARE say that! Richie!" Mike exploded, "You're not to blame for any of this! You were a kid, only fourteen years old! Fourteen! You were just trying to get home before curfew! His father was a cop! Butch Bowers shut you down the second he realized his son was involved! What else could you have done? Tell me?!" 

"I could have…I should have… I don't know! I DON'T KNOW! If I had just kept going forward than Eddie would be safe in his dorm right now, studying or reading or anything instead of taking a Silkwood shower because I'm such a fucking coward that I didn't get Bowers and Hockstetter off the streets!" Tears spilled down his cheeks, he ripped his glasses off and turned away, shoulders shaking. The only sound in the hallway was Richie's shaky gasps. 

"That may be true, but if you had, we would never have met." Eddie's soft voice broke the heavy silence. 

"What?" Richie turned back, face wet with tears. He blinked and replaced his glasses, wiping his cheeks and sniffling slightly.

"My dad used to say that there are no accidents and everything happens for a reason. If Patrick hadn't done what he did, I wouldn't have run into you, literally. As horrible as today was, running into you was not part of that. You believed me, you took care of me. Richie, not many people would do that. Most people would call me a spaz or worse for running into them and walk away even though it was obvious I was upset. You didn't. Even after you found out who attacked me. You stayed. That means something to me. That's why I'm saying thank you. You're a good guy, Richie Tozier." 

Richie turned to Mike and gave him a helpless look. How was he not supposed to fall in love with this adorable, wounded boy? He had a sinking feeling that it was already way too late to stop. It had been ever since Eddie had come around that corner seeking refuge. 

"Oh, boy." Mike sighed, shaking his head. "Better assume crash positions. This won't end well." 

"Beep beep, Mikey." Richie glared at the other boy. 

"Crash positions? I don't get it." Eddie remarked. 

Richie and Mike exchanged glances. It was one of those long-time friend things where you communicated silently but you knew exactly what the other was thinking. 

"Don't worry about it, Eddie. Mike likes to overthink things. Just ignore him."

"Uh, OK."

"So, where's this elusive dormroom of yours? This way?" Richie let Eddie lead them on. 

"Here we go." Eddie said, finally. He stopped in front of room 108. The door tags read: Eddie K. & Stanley U. "I think my roommate, Stan, is in his last class. Maybe he could join us later? He's quiet but cool. I think you'd like him."

"Like who?" A voice came from behind them. They all turned to see a tall, handsome, slim boy with soft looking blond curls. He was dressed preppy and neat. He had a backpack and a brown lunch bag. He looked over Mike and Richie. "Hi." He said, softly. 

"Stan, this is Richie Tozier and Mike Hanlon. Mike's our RA and I, uh, kind of ran into Richie…like, literally, this afternoon. I asked them over to watch a movie. Guess I really should have run it by you first. Sorry." 

"Oh, hey, it's your room, too. I'm actually dropping my stuff off and meeting up with a classmate and his girlfriend for dinner. I'll be back around 8. Nice to meet you guys." He smiled a shy smile and gave Mike a lingering glance. Mike glanced back. Stan ducked past them into the room and came back out a few seconds later. "Bye." He gave Eddie's attire a puzzled look, opened his mouth, met Richie's sad eyes and shut it again. He nodded at Richie and then Mike. 

"Bye." Mike managed, staring hungrily after the blond. "I'm going to go get that hot chocolate now." He just stood there staring. 

"Whatever you say, Micycle." Richie smirked, rolled his eyes and followed a bemused looking Eddie into the dormroom. 

"You need me to help you with anything?" Richie asked, needing to do something besides sit on the bed. He gestured towards the bathroom door. 

"You want to help me take a shower?" Eddie sputtered, looking shocked. 

"Not quite where I was going with that. I can pick out some movies or set out your clothes for you. Something like that." Richie was sure he was blushing. 

"Oh, yeah. That would be great." Eddie smiled. "Thanks." And he headed for the bathroom, peeling the scrub top over his head. Richie couldn't look away from that creamy skin and the lean muscled torso. 

"OK, I'll do that. Sure. No problem." He muttered. "Christ, Mikey, what the fucking hell have I gotten myself into this time?"

  
  


TBC… 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized that even in a campus setting, Eddie's clothes would probably be taken for evidence. I'm not sure how schools deal with sexual assaults now.


	5. Unsought Is Better

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie tries to wash away his scary encounter and Mike is concerned that Richie is jumping into things too quickly. They watch a movie to help distract Eddie.

Eddie stood for a second in front of the bathroom mirror. His ribs on the left side had the faint beginnings of a purpling bruise from where he had collided with Richie. He gingerly prodded at the sore area and flinched, hissing. He sighed and recalled the sensation of Patrick's hands on him. He groaned as bile rose in his throat, his stomach lurched, and he felt new panic flare up again as he realized that he was wheezing and his hands were shaking. He quickly thought of the sweet caring boy waiting for him just outside the door and felt himself slowly begin to calm down. 

Richie. Just the image of the guy in his mind made him smile. Richie was very attractive in a unique way. Slim, but not scrawny with dark, riotous curls, pretty blue eyes behind thick lenses, and his weird but amusing sense of humor. Eddie's smile grew as he remembered Richie doing a breast self-exam in the lobby of the clinic. He rolled his eyes, fond smile fading as his gaze landed on some dark bruises on his hips. Finger shaped bruises. Bruises that the nurse had taken pictures of. He whimpered softly. 

_ "Just where do you think you're going, Kaspbrak? You're not going anywhere, sweetheart." _

Eddie gagged, for a horrible second, he thought he might actually vomit. He needed to get to clean, his soul felt as if it was stained with filth. He hurried to turn on the water, adjusting it to just below scalding. When he was ready, he climbed into the shower. He hissed a little when the hot water hit his sensitive skin but he grabbed the antibacterial soap and began to lather himself good. Eddie felt tears burning his eyes and he scrubbed viciously at himself, making sure to get every nook and cranny. He rinsed and repeated two more times. Eddie picked up the fragrant shampoo and began to work it into his dark curls, short nails scraping his scalp. He rinsed and again repeated the act. He splashed his face, the tears mixing with the water. The water was cooling by now and he felt a tiny bit better. Not clean, somehow he doubted he'd ever feel clean again. No, not clean, but nowhere near as dirty as he'd felt before. He turned the cool water off with a quick twist of his wrist and stepped out of the shower. He grabbed a dry, fluffy towel wrapping it snuggly around his slim waist.

He grabbed another towel and rubbed his wet hair with it, making it stick up in crazy, wild tufts and snarls. He hung the towel over the bar and stepped back to the mirror. He picked up his comb and dragged it through his hair, wincing as it caught on some tangles. He worked the comb through the snarls and put the comb down. He was pale, his eyes red rimmed, but he still didn't look as wrecked as he felt. Maybe that was a win in all of this shit. Eddie shrugged and took his toothbrush from it's holder with shaky fingers. He managed to smear the toothpaste on the brush. He attacked his teeth with almost the same ferocity as he had his body. He spit and rinsed and gargled Listerine. He spit again and washed that down the drain. He gingerly patted his mouth dry with a hand towel. 

In the bedroom, Richie picked out a soft gray t-shirt from Eddie's closet and paired it with some blue shorts and a pair of clean, white briefs. He flushed as he touched the briefs. He felt a bit pervy touching a virtual stranger's underwear even if he had Eddie's permission to lay out his clothes. 

A few minutes later, the boy himself appeared and Richie's eyes nearly popped out. He was so beautiful, wet dark hair combed perfectly, droplets of water still clung to his soft looking, creamy skin, marred only by scattered bruising. The intoxicating scents of the soap and shampoo he had used clung to Eddie. Richie licked his lips, trying not to stare. 

"I-I'll wait over there." Pointing toward the other side of the room, he stammered. He turned away to attempt to give Eddie privacy to get dressed. He sank onto the other bed, back turned. This was worse to Richie than if he'd watched Eddie dress because he could hear every swish of material and snap of elastic as Eddie pulled on his briefs. He grit his teeth and tried to think of other things. 

He jumped when Eddie came up beside him. 

"Sorry." The boy said, softly. "Thank you for getting my clothes. And for everything else."

"You don't need to thank me for that. No more thank yous, okay, Eds?" Richie reached out and lightly patted Eddie's arm. Eddie blushed and nodded. 

A loud knock on the door had Eddie turning away to answer it. Mike stood there with a tray of steaming cups. 

"Hot chocolate, anyone?" Mike asked. He had a bag of mini marshmallows too. Eddie ushered him in. Mike put the tray down on Eddie's desk and Eddie made a nest of pillows on his bed so that they could all pile on the mattress and watch movies. Richie had picked out a few. 

"OK, so here are a couple of movies I thought we might watch. Eddie, you had a nice selection of John Hughes movies. I've never seen this one." Richie held up a dvd with three young attractive people on it and Mike shrugged, looking at Eddie. 

"Some Kind of Wonderful. That's one of my favorites. The guy is an artist who has a crush on the popular girl at school and his best friend helps him try to win her heart even though she has a crush on him herself and the popular girl has a jerk boyfriend. It's cute." Eddie blushed. He was a romantic. 

"Also, another choice is Empire Records. I love this one. Group of teens and their boss fight to save their music store. Or another John Hughes classic, The Breakfast Club." Richie grinned. "What hits your fancy, Eds?"

"Can we watch two? I'd love to see Some Kind of Wonderful and Empire Records." 

"As you wish." Richie said, his voice low. Eddie gave Richie a sweet dimpled smile. Mike looked between the two boys and sighed to himself. He should just start calling them Romeo and Juliet. Star-crossed lovers headed for disaster. This was going to be a trainwreck. The other two ignored him as they flirted. 

Eddie powered up the DVD player and slid in Some Kind Of Wonderful. He came back and sat on the bed next to Richie, who handed him a cup of hot chocolatey deliciousness. 

"Thanks." He murmured and Richie blushed, nodding and quickly looking at the screen. Eddie took a small handful of mini marshmallows from the bag Mike offered him and added them to his drink. He thanked Mike and looked over at Richie and smiled. Richie was nodding along to the drumming at the intro to the movie. Eddie sipped his hot chocolate. It was perfect, sweet and hot and creamy. 

"This is really good, Mike. Thank you." Eddie said, sweetly. 

"You're welcome. I'm glad you like it." Mike seemed almost uncomfortable with the praise. 

"It is very good, Mikey. Don't be ashamed of your husbandly skills, buddy. We'll snag you a man yet." Richie teased, winking at his friend. 

"Beep beep, Rich. Watch the movie." Mike grumbled. His mind briefly flashed to Eddie's little snack of a roommate. That boy was just his type. He shook himself and tried to take his own advice and focus on the movie. 

"Hey, isn't the girl who plays Amanda Jones the same one who plays Lorraine McFly in Back to the Future?" Richie asked, suddenly, his brow creased. 

"Oh, wow, you're right." Eddie muttered. "I knew she looked familiar!" 

Mike nodded, draining his cup. He placed it back on its coaster on the nightstand. Eddie noticed and smiled. 

As the movie continued, Richie unconsciously edged closer to Eddie. Their shoulders were touching and Eddie almost jumped as Richie's fingers brushed his. It took Eddie a second to realize that Richie was reaching for Eddie's empty cup. 

"Oh, sorry." He whispered, handing it over. Richie just winked at him and moved the cup out of the way. Eddie felt that wink as if Richie had stroked him. He blushed and tried to ignore the other boy and get back into the movie. They were at the scene where Watts offered to teach Keith how to kiss for his date with Amanda. It was a fairly sexy scene and Eddie felt himself flush. The scene unfolded at the garage where Keith worked as a mechanic. Keith was working on a car. Watts was watching and going over plans for the date between Keith and Amanda. 

_ "Don't think I'm being weird, but what if… What if she wants you to kiss her?" Watts asked. _

_ "Well, then I guess I'm just going to have to kiss her." Keith replied, flippantly, obviously thinking his best friend was going insane. _

_ "Amanda Jones is no minor leaguer who will be swept off her feet by the touch of your amatuer lips." _

_ "Thanks." Keith says, stung by her honesty. _

_ "This babe has plenty of battle scars." Watts continued. _

_ "I think I can handle it." Keith retorted, feeling slightly emasculated. _

_ "Great. Well, I just think…maybe you should consider whether or not you feel that you can deliver a kiss that kills." Watts challenged. _

_ "Y-you think I can't?" Keith asked, offended. _

_ "If you say you can… You probably can." Watts said, as if to placate him. _

_ "Well, I-I'm no expert." Keith admitted. _

_ "It's cool. I was just going to work on it with you but if…if you're comfortable, great!" Watts countered, moving away to sit on a nearby oil drum. _

_ "Wait…wait…wait…wait…How...how do you work on it?" Keith asked, intrigued and maybe a bit nervous. He leaned on the car and stared at her. _

_ Watts pressed her lips together, as if thinking about it. _

_ "Pretend I'm a girl, okay?" And then she scoffed in embarrassment, rolling her eyes, as she realized what she said. Keith laughed at her a little. "I mean, pretend I'm _ ** _her_ ** _ . Amanda." She pulled her jacket off to bare a shoulder. Keith stared at her as if he'd never seen her before and she took his silence as horror. "I know it's a big stretch, but try it...Come here." His eyes widened. "I didn't mean to scare you." Keith moved towards her slowly, cleaning his dirty hands on a rag, throwing it off to the side. He was right in front of her now. "All right. What do you do with your hands?" She looked up at him, her pretty eyes giving away how curious she is about how much Keith knows about kissing. _

_ "Well, it depends." He stammered. His cheeks turned a little pink. He didn't want to seem inexperienced in front of Watts. _

_ "No, it doesn't depend. They go on her hips." She informed him, loftily. _

_ "Ok." Keith replied but didn't move. _

_ "Do it." She demanded. He did, but she moved his hands to her liking. "Look into my eyes." Keith does and begins to laugh softly, dropping his head, his reddish hair flopping. Watts is offended. "Come on, I don't have to do this, you know." _

_ "Ok, I'm sorry." Keith's apology overlaps her chiding. He shakes himself and looks into her eyes. She looks back at him, her blue eyes serious. _

_ "Just grow up a little." She reprimanded him. "She'll probably do this…" Watts puts her arms over Keith's shoulders, making it more of an embrace. She looks a bit nervous as she does this but tries not to show it. _

_ "How do you know?" Keith sounded bewildered, his green eyes wide. _

_ "I watch a lot of TV." Watts answered. "Close your eyes." _

On screen, a soft, almost seductive song comes on as Watts leans in and kisses Keith. The kiss is sweet and then Keith's fingers tighten on Watts' hips as the kiss suddenly deepens. Watts wraps her legs around Keith as it continues. 

Eddie feels really warm and he can't blame it on the hot chocolate. He can hear Richie's sharp inhale and looks at him. Richie is staring at the screen, his full lips parted, blue eyes wide behind his glasses. 

The door to the dorm room suddenly rattles and flies open. The three on the bed jump and Stan is standing there, trying to close the door quietly. 

"Sorry." He says softly, looking chagrined. Mike pauses the movie and nods at Stan. 

"You want to watch with us?" Eddie asks but Stan shakes his head, softening the rebuff with a smile. 

"We can make room." Mike offers, with a hopeful lilt in his voice. Stan ducks his head. 

"I appreciate it but the movie is almost over. Maybe I'll join you some other time." The last part sounded like a question. They nodded. Mike seemed disappointed. 

Stan grabbed some clothes and went into the bathroom to take a shower. 

"We gonna to finish the movie, Mikey?" Richie nudged him out of his daze. Mike clicked the remote. 

Eddie looked up at Richie, who gave him a soft smile and gently bumped his shoulder. Eddie laced their fingers together and leaned against Richie. Mike raised an eyebrow at Richie, who shrugged. He wasn't going to pull away if Eddie wanted to hold his hand and lean on him. He knew Mike didn't approve of them being so tactile. He also knew Mike cared about him and didn't want him to get hurt. He would willingly have his heart broken if it would heal Eddie's soul. But he didn't get the impression that Eddie was someone who did this impulsively. It just felt right. 

TBC...

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The quotes in italics (except for the ones quoting Patrick from an earlier chapter) are from the John Hughes movie Some Kind of Wonderful. Watts and Keith are characters from that movie. I cannot claim them.

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on Twitter if you want:  
RChristina_O34
> 
> If you like my stories, please rec them so others can find them too. And comments are always welcome! ;)
> 
> *This is a work in progress, please be patient with me... But a couple of nudges work too. *


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